Plant identification tag and method of making and applying same



June 23, 1953 y J, 'WATTS 2,642,684

PLANT IDENTIFICATION TAG AND METHOD 0F MAKING 'AND APPLYING SAME Filed lay 16, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet I JQ/wey,

June 23, 1953 J.- gyms f 2,642,684

- PLANT rnEn'rgfxcA 10N TAG Argo METHOD v oF manv yAAND'APPLYING SAME mea nay 16,11951 2 Vslums-sheet a' .0 Q/a//n wia'. i

A zo

y (faae 50V/ Patented June 23, 1.953

QUNITD i This invention-relatesto kstrip type self-locling and' releasing identication tag and method ofinaking and applying' the same. y 1"! YThe invention is more particularlyconcerned with plantjidentification Ymarkers and tags fofoneepiece integral structure which`r are `so conis truoted and arranged that they may be l'made in multiple', sheet formA and which may be readily separable from the sheet in theope'rationof completing same by cutting along parallellir'ies.v Thel bodyportion of each tag so separatedfrom the sheet is thereafter capable of :being looped about thestems lor stalk of a plantand auto# matically secured in such looped positionbyth'e integral construction of the tag bodyfin the i absence of any extraneous fastening means@ 'If/he construction of each ta'g vwhich is responsible for the "automatic locking Aof Vthe looped portions thereof Y about'a stern or twig, also `functions te automatcally'loosen and'release the tengis"v the encompassed stem or twig outgrowsnthe loop.I Inother words as the diameter y'of the' tsternfor twig outgrows the dimension o'f'the looped ktag the tagwill automatically loosen' "so as notfto bind or choke the plant. .f e In view ofthe foregoing,` a generalv objI the invention is to provide a plant brother L tication tagin the form of an elongatedtively narrow and flat relatively stiff strip' f rm but exible sheet material ,which is'self locking andv supporting.` i The tag strip'ofy this invention is formed'a'djacent onev end 4'thereof with'an aperture of a size and *shape for,I receiv-- ingl the other end body portion therofwh'ich fis threaded therethrough in the provision `of"a loop forencirclernent of a stem and a proje t'ng tag portion.v

v Aiurther Vobject o fl the invention-i tonpr vide aY self-locking and releasing tag' includ'ing fan elongated relatively narrow vloodyQ "porti'on rand 49 wherein a circularly walled aperture is provided in the body 'portion 'adjacent' one end Athereof 'and wherein the body portion ,isprovided"i'vvith` laterally aligned notches intermediate itsv ends 'for'interlocking' engagement with 'the 'wallet said 45 aperture upon threading the other"endk of ythe body vportion therethrough. Y l i tA still further and r'no'rey specific^ objectofthe invention isto provideY a plant identification tag of i elongated stripform and" wherein-the stip'is' formed" of thermoplastic I*sheet materiali and'with one face thereof-having a gloss-printing protected finish and the-opposite fac'e'having airoughfnis'h; generally referred to as' an .erasablewsurfacerl 1 Anothenobject of fthe invention resides inthe' comms.; (oleic-'2n v, I

. w. 2 provsiorifofu a tagfforming and carrying'shfeet Whichinay'be preformed and printed as desired and from which individual strip tags may" be severed'as reouiredalongparallel lines, thus providing reusable'fs'trip tags which are ine5 `pen`sine-v toproduce vand simple and reliablein operation! Still another object of theinvention is to provide anovel'rnethod'for expeditiously ior'nlng'l plant or other'strip type identificationtags'of-4 teristic featuresrecited 'khe'reinl f' Otherobjects and advantages of 'the invention will becomeapparent vin the 1course of th'e"ol'- lowing detailed description, taken' infconnec'tion with the accompanyingldrawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is vaplanviewr of a fragment of the glossy printed side of asheet of plastic orl otheri similarrelatively stiff fand resilient material, preforfn'edjfor thesuccessive cutting of complete,- se1t-looking land releasing vplant'` identication tagsv therefrom by merelt7` severing the" sheet along parallel l'ir'ies;V f "f '3 AFig. 2 is an edge viewl of the sheetshown in Fig.. g il Fig.'3 is aplan View of one of the 'tagsshowing thereverse'ornerasable side thereof; 'Fig. l'is a'jperspeotivefview on an enlarged scale showing vone of the tag sections in the 'op-y eration of provi'dingaplant stem receiving loop and just priortobringing the bodyportions at the character referred toa-nd having the oha'raof one end thereofinto "autom'atie interlooked.rela-l tion with theother` coacting body potrions; Fig. 5 is a perspective view showingone of the looped and interlockedftags as it would appear when-secured 'aboutthelxstem of afplantf such as a rose bnshfff j Fig. 671s a Vface planfvlew of one of the tagsin accordance'with avmodied structural embodiment-thereof; i i Fig: '1; is fa 1plan view simiiiio Figi 1, butiiiustraurig-a infine; modified embodiment of the YFig. 'ai planyiew'corresponding to lng. 3, and showing one of the Atags when out from the slieet of Fig. and from the reverse onerasable Fig. 9: is a perspective view correspondin'g to Figa-fand' showing theeper'ation of providing aiplant stem receiving loop by a SlightlyV modi#- fied form of the strip tag'shown in Fig. 8;' Fig."10 is' perspective viewfcorresponding to Fig;l '5;"but sh'owingfthe tag' of Fig. 8"looped"and. lockedz'aboutfa plantstemv or stall: which' has causei same'fto gradually loosen; `and 4 of the plant to which the tag is to be attached, as for example Red Azalea in Fig. 3, and

' Radiant in Fig. 5.

In the cutting of the tags I4, from the sheet I0, the relatively large apertures II are adjacent one end thereof with their centers centrally of the opposite side edges of the strips forming the tags while the relatively small apertures I3 are bisected in the cutting operation thereby providing opposite side edge notches I3ay in the tags, or portions of minimum width.

With the tags completely formed as in Fig. 3,

, the namesof the particular plants to which they therefrom in accordance with the novel steps in the method of forming these self-locking and releasing tags, which consists inproviding-thesheet with a series of relatively large apertures II, which are in equally spaced Yrelation and are to b e attached, can readily be written on the rough or dull surface thereof and such surface admit's'of ready erasure of the name, even by a washingprocess.l

whose centers are in a straight line adjacent'to-V f and parallel with one edge of the strip.

Furthermore, it is essential to the practicing of this method that the distances between the centers of adjacent apertures II be equal to the maximum width of the nally formed tags and thatrthe diameter of Aeach-aperture II be equal to the minimum width of a tag strip.

In the method of preparing the sheet for the cutting of tags therefrom, the sheet is also treated in the provision cfak series of slits I2 which extend radially from the apertures II at right angles to the adjacent edge of the strip'and toward the oppositeedge thereof. The lengths of the slits are such that same plus the diameters of the apertures is slightly greater'than the maximum widths of the finally formed tags.

Proceeding further with the method of preparingthe sheet I for the cutting of tags therefrom, the sheet is also provided with a series of relatively small apertures I3 which are disposed with their centers in a line parallel to the line of centers of apertures II but in substantial spaced relation thereto toward the opposite edge ofthe sheet.

In the provision of tags with minimum 4width portions, apertures I3 are formed ,in the sheet in staggered relation tc the large tag'body receiv-v ing apertures II for cuttingthrough the centers thereof. As shown, the centers-of adjacent ap.

ertures I3 are disposed in parallel lines normal to the sheet edges which bisect lines extending from center to center of adjacent apertures II, as is indicated by the dot-and-dash line :r in- Fig. l. At this point it isto be observed that the sheet I0 may be provided with a gloss face or side surface I5 and an opposite rough or dull face I6, for a purpose later to appean With the sheet I0 prepared with the two or more series of apertures andV slits as aboveA described and as indicated in Figs. l andV 6, the final step in the method of forming the tags consists in merely cutting the sheet I0 along parallel lines it from one edge thereof to the other and which lines intersect the centers of the relatively small apertures I3 and bisect lines connecting the centers of the relatively large apertures II-.

The cutting operation provides tags I4 as shown Vin Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6.

It is here to be pointed out that Athe gloss surface I5 provides for the protection of printed matter such as advertising, such for example the makers of the sheet materialor tagsandsuch advertising is here represented as an example by, John Doe Co. The rough or dull, surfacel., however, is for the purposeof writingV or printf ing thereon with ppencil, pen orcrayon the name In applying an improved strip tag I4, same is rst 'looped about a plant stem, whereupon the end I1 of the tag is then inserted within the aperture Y II and the adjacent. slit I2, at the opposite end I8 of the tag as is illustrated in Fig. 4. The end I8 is heldin the fingers of one hand While the end I'I is drawn forwardly thereby diminishing .theinitially formed loop and in this action a substantial twistwill beimparted to the strip, as is also clearly lshown in Fig. 4. The end I'I is then pulled until the notches I3a reach the aperture II whereupon slight twist onV the strip will resultin this body portion of a width equal to the diameter of the aperture II assum. ing its natural position and width the notches automatically interlocked with Lthe edge of aper ture II, at points in a diametter thereof, at right f angles to the slit II. A tag supporting loop I9 will thus be provided in encircling relation tol the stalk or stem of a plant P (Fig. 5).

Due to the construction of the tags from there moplastic material, same 'will not be damaged by weather elements or other naturalcare r'e-v quired as the plant grows andas'l pressure of the growing stem in the loop I9 increases, the tag willautomatically back off and loosen or break by rupture of the side edge portions in a diameter of the aperture I I.

However, it is not proposed that the tags be broken and in use with garden plants theycan be'loo'sely appliedV at the start and breakage thereof avoided since thetags are'adapte'dl for use year after year.

4In the modified form of tag I4', according. to Fig. 6, a second pair of notches I3b is provided from a second series ofsmall apertures I3, thereby providing for the formation of two different size plant receiving loop'por-tionsin severing each tag A further modified embodiment 'of the inven" tion is shown in Figs. 7 vto 10. Here the sheet Illa is shownl similar to the sheet ID'of Fig. 1, and having the opposed'rough erasable surface Iand the vgloss surface I5. Furthermore, the tags Ida are cut .from this sheet Ina in thesame manner as abovedescribed in connection 'with the sheet vIll of Figfl. 'In this modified embodiment however, tl'l'erel-` atively large apertures I Ia communicate at one side with cut out slots 12a which are of a Y'widthv to receive the bodies of the tags freelyV and without flexure of the material adjacent the slots. Further such slots providefor thicker material in the Vsheet from which the tags are cut.

Also in this modified embodiment, the re la, tively small apertures as shown at I3 in Fig. 1, are replaced by tear dropV shaped apertures I3', whose pointed `ends .face ,toward the end. of the sheet opposite to the end in which the apertures I Ia are formed.

Thus upon cutting the sheet I0a on lines .'12, individual tags VIIIUL (Fig. 8) are produced with each tag provided with laterally opposed elongated notches I3 in its side edges, intermediate the ends I'I and I8 thereof. These elongated notches I3, include an arcuate inner edge portion and a straight inclined outer edge portion, whereby when the loop I9- receiving the stem of a plant P' is filled by the growing stem, the inclined edges provide for slipping of the engaged parts so that more ready backing off of the end I8 of the tag is permitted.

As will be seen from Fig. 9 the relatively wide slot I2a provides for free passage of the end Il' of the tag strip body through the aperture IIa. This slot I2a has been found highly desirable when using a rather stiff or thickened material.

The advantage of the half tear drop notches will be more apparent from an inspection of Fig. 10, wherein the edge of aperture IIa is shown engaging the oppositely outwardly inclined edges of the notches permitting loosening and backing off of the looped portions as the stem lls and outgrows ther loop I9. In some instances if the tag is not then removed, it may eventually rupsaid aperture land at right angles to said slit in the provision of a plant encircling loop.

2. A tag forming blank comprising a rectangular sheet of flexible material, said sheet being provided with a row of apertures whose centers are equally spaced in la line extending across the sheet adjacent an edge thereof, said sheet being provided with a slit disposed diametricalli7 of and openinginto each aperture and extending at right angles to said line, land said sheet being provided with a second row of apertures whose centers are in a line parallel with and in substantial spaced relation to said first line, and said centers of said second row of apertures being in lines parallel with and intermediate said slits and the centers of 'said first row of apertures, whereby upon cutting said blankV along said last lines, individual tags are provided, each comprising an elongated striphaving an aperture and cooperating slit adjacent one end thereof for receiving the opposite end thereof, together withl laterally opposed notches for locking engagement `with the strip at the margin of the aperture of Fig. 11 and which form of end is also shown in Fig. 9.

As shown in Fig. 11 the notches I3 may be formed in the modified tag |422, nearer the end I'I, whereby to provide a substantially large stem encircling loop I9.

Having described the improved tags and method in a preferred embodiment thereof, what I claim and desire to secure by U..S. Letters Patent is:

1. A plant identification tag comprising a relatively thin resilient strip of uniform width having parallel edges, a relatively large aperture in said strip adjacent one end thereof having its center intermediate said edges, a slit in the strip extending radially from the aperture parallel to and intermediate said edges and toward theopposite end of the strip, the diameter of said aperture and length of said slit being of a combined dimension equal to at least the width of said strip, for initially receiving the other end of the strip when flexed to a position at right angles to therein.

JOHN LANGDON WATTS.

, Number Name Datek 659,199 Anderton Oct. 9, 1900 1,001,209 `Mi1ler Aug. 22, 1911 1,810,027 Moran June-16, 1931 2,063,553 Mooney Dec. 8, 1936 2,192,514 Carleton Mar.` 5, 1940 2,423,818 Schmutzler July 8,1947 2,554,105 Heime May 22,1951 2,556,825 Smith June 12, 1951 2,578,548 Histed Dec. 11,1951

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 171,737 Switzerland Mar. 1, 1935 398,599

Great Britain Sept. 21, 1933 

